I feel my savior's love

Monday:  biked 6.74 miles.  temple workers potluck dinner and program at the Pageant Center. Very melancholy for all we e built here in comradely, in testimony, in love.  It feels as though we hate to leave this place and people.  We mopped and vacuumed floors. 

Tuesday:  we walked3/4 mile. It is cold here now. Temple service starts in the dark at 6:00 am.  Eating leftovers, preparing to leave. 

Wednesday:  7:05 am preprep meeting. (Clothing, register). Biked 7.95 miles after morning temple shift. Dave and Ruth Thompson came and we went to do 4:30proxy endowments.  Drostys, our baptism leaders on Thursdays did our baptisms so we have more work ready to do. 

Thursday:  we did our regular morning shift ; came home to bike 8.02 miles; went back to the temple to do proxy initiatories (3) then a proxy endowment at 3:30.  Cleaned more of the refrigerator. 

Friday:  ate leftover pancakes and applesauce; based up at Keokuk while I had my nails fixed up. Went to the afternoon shift early as Seventies and mission presidents were having 2 sessions. There have been so many tender mercies:  a couple came through from Mesa to get clothing, they are serving in Colorado? As mission leaders. Anyway, they are neighbors of Michelle and Dennis Porter. Next time they saw me in the temple, we discovered she was our President Walkers sister.  (Rob Walker andJoni from 10th ward and our mission president in Hawaii) 

Three ladies came for clothing and they were from Idaho— I said Where?  TwinFalls, Jerome, and Boise!  Jerome lady knew Sarah and Tim.  Tim had taught several of her children in seminary, Parsons was her name and of course, they love the family.  I felt the Lords love all around me.  

Saturday:  finished recleaning bathroom, mirrors, refrigerator, washer and dryer, sinks, mirror…. Biked 8+ miles, loaded up the bike on the pack rack. I Our afternoon temple assignment was at the Arrival Center.  We were busy until 6:00 pm.  

Sunday:  attended 9:00 am church, third ward, and finished touches and bedding packing,, key fob and checkout papers drop off. Stayed the night in Dayton, Ohio, where Aunt Lil and her parents lived..  on the way we went through Indianapolis, Indiana ( Aunt Ranae and Uncle Lance lived in Indiana when Ray and I got married). We passed the raceway and that looked pretty cool.  

Very tender week. Our last of everything.  It has been a taste of Zion living.  We’re so happy to have had this experience. Love to each of you. Carry on,carry on, carry on!

October 7-13

Monday:  biked 9.25 miles; walked .67 miles. More cleaning in preparation for exiting the apartment— my dresser drawers, bathroom, finish top kitchen cupboards, cupboards on both sides of oven and get car ready to pack 

Tuesday:  temple shift 6:15. Came home to bike ride and chain was off, discovered 2 bolts were missing. Drove to Burlington to the bike store, an hour away then back to Nauvoo.  Ray fixed the bike and rode 8.4 miles, getting dark. 

Wednesday:  7:00 am shift, much nicer. After shift, we rode 8.92 miles, showered and back to the temple to participate with Janet Schultz family group sealing of her Biddle family, then we did a proxy endowment session.

Thursday:  7:00 am shift and we were assigned the leaders of the endowment session—that means, we sit at the front sides, open the doors as we go from room to room,I closed the doors behind the group attending and Ray moves the chairs out of the way in the last room😇. After our shift, we biked 5 1/2 miles—I’ve injured my right foot, the one I jump on the pedal with; it’s bruised and swollen. We went back to the temple for a 4:30 proxy endowment

Friday:  6.31 miles biking but the pain in my inner foot has cut our mileage short. I am using the ball of my foot to power with which Rays says I should have been using all the time.  We had our regular afternoon shift with a late Friday 9:00 pm veil. My schedule only went to 7:30 so I got a ride home with Pam Lewis. I’m tired. 

Saturday:  biked 6.5 miles with my foot wrapped; it’s healing. Served our shift until 5:30 in the Arrival Center because they knew by reservations the temple was going to be busy all day everywhere. It was busy in the Arrival center with recommends that were forgotten, out of date, etc.  plus lots of youth, Cedar Rapids stake youth and families to be carded with pink or blue slips and family names to be printed.  The whole day was slammed. 

Sunday:  fast Sunday. We watchedBYUtv devotional, music and the spoken word; our ward doesn’t start until 12 noon.  Walked 3/4 mile, keeping my foot wrapped.  Shortly after church, we were blessed to be part of an annual special missionary worker devotional in the Assembly Hall.  This is this presidencies last one as this year ends their 3 year assignment. Each of the presidency and matrons spoke. It was tender. In between couples was a musical, sister Larsen on piano, sister little on flute and sister Palmer on viola playing “Come thou fount of every blessing” and the second number was President Church’s daughters singing “Window to His Love”. It was beautiful. And the Church’s remarks have been their theme:  “ I could quote the prophets and apostles but my message is Love. It feels good and this is what the Lord wants His children to experience “.   We had a group temple missionaries in our picture taken in front of the temple and then had dinner with our housemates, Whittiers, who made chicken fajitas that were delicious. I took their favorite—pico with chips. He tested it by the bowl before everyone else came😁👍. Then we left to get the family call. It’s like fresh beating blood to our hearts to see our family!  Thanks for being on and for the message on family, thanks Nathan. We love you all. The gospel is true; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is restored with apostles and prophets in these days. We have been urged by our prophet to study the conference talks, read the Book of Mormon, attend church, be intentional in attending the temple, keep our eyes on covenants and prepare for the second coming.  This is our day to Love the Lord, keep His commandments, and strengthen and lift each other. Carry on, carry on, carry on!

Week of September 30-October 6

 Monday:  biked 9.92 miles, cleaned the bottom drawers of the fridge, packed 3 boxes and cleaned the inside of cupboards and drawers. We had a fireside that night at the Arrival Center with Kimberlee Jo Smith, the great-great granddaughter of Joseph and Emma Smith.  She told how she didn’t know anything about those grandparents; it wasn’t talked about. And when she was 20+, she went to an Osmond Show, against the counsel of her father. He had told her to stay away from them, they were Mormons. But she had a desire to meet them.  After the show, Merrill Osmond came out and she talked to him.  He had had a dream about Joseph Smiths posterity and Merrill was to be instrumental in saving his family.  

She didn’t want to tell him her name but decided Jo and Smith were common names so she told him.  He told her he had to talk to her.   I think he had her meet his mother and family and it went from there.  Merrill baptized her.  I may not have everything exact but the baptizer was right.  The Spirit was so great, I didn’t want to leave.

Tuesday:  we had to be at the temple at 5:45. Todays meeting was quite emotional.  The Grant’s are sad to have the temple missionaries leave and President and Sister Osterly were emotional also as this is the beginning of their last year in the presidency.  They are really wonderfully loving, personable people. 

Biked 8.81 miles after our temple shift.

Wednesday:  7 am morning shift. During our shift we were blessed to have an ordinance worker sealing hour and we had 4 of our ancestors sealed and 2 daughters sealed to parents.  Biked 8.9 miles and went back to the temple at 5 pm to do a proxy endowment session for our family members. 

Thursday:  same schedule morning shift, came home and biked 8.97 miles in 51 minutes and went back to the temple for another proxy endowment session for our family.  We went to the Red Front to get fries but they didn’t have fries so we got tater tots with cheese and bacon. They were good.  Blockers came in and ate with us and bought Ray a sandwich that Brother Blocker really likes. 

Friday:  shopped in Keokuk for a few fresh items, gassed the car, and biked 8.93 miles before our late temple shift.  

Saturday: we had a brunch at our apartment before our 11:00 conference live on BYUTV. Favero, Evans, Schultz and Blockers came.  We had 5 cup salad, bacon, applesauce pancakes, hummus, pretzels, plus fresh fruit and cinnamon rolls!

Since it was Saturday, we rode 9.15 miles, walked 1/2 mile and washed windows, doors, and purchased ribs for tomorrow.

Sunday:  enjoyed the general conference. After we walked around 1/2 mile. My knee is progressing.  And we drove around Nauvoo with a little melancholy to leave. We’ve loved the temple, the other missionaries and this beautiful place.  We will miss this wonderful experience. Missions are full with So many wonderful experiences!